Photographer's portfolio: recommendations for compiling and updating. How to create a good portfolio for a beginning photographer - part 1 Portfolio photo shoot

Among you there are both experienced photographers and beginners who have recently discovered the world of photo science.

We can definitely say that the topic that we will discuss today will be of interest to everyone who is involved in photography. Today we will talk about the so-called “portfolio”.

If you forget all scientific terms and speak in a clear, popular language, then we can say that “portfolio” is the author’s business card. Or, from a scientific point of view, it is a set containing the most best works and the author’s projects in any field of art or culture, with the aim of telling about the author and his talents, experience and quality of work. The portfolio can be stored in in different forms. For example, if a person is engaged in drawing, then his portfolio consists of the drawings themselves, copies or photographs.

We said that the purpose of a portfolio is to tell about the author and his talents, experience and quality of work. In other words portfolio is advertising. Let's say you want to order a room design for yourself. You have found the right person, and he tells you that he is very much a designer. How can he confirm that he really knows a lot about his business? He opens a folder with photographs showing his best work. Now, you are sure that you will not pay this person in vain.

Why does a photographer need a portfolio? Let's figure it out. A photographer who makes a portfolio may have several goals. The least likely version is that he is making a portfolio for himself to look at and praise himself. Few photographers pursue this goal. The main purpose for which portfolios are compiled is, again, advertising. It’s not for nothing that they say: “Advertising is the engine of trade.” It is important for photographers who sell their services to have a portfolio. In particular, people conducting photo shoots. The person who comes to you will most likely demand that you show him your work. If you apply for a job on any TV channel, newspaper publishing house or modeling agency, then the employer will definitely ask you for a portfolio. I hope you now understand what a portfolio is and its importance for the owner of every profession.

When should a photographer start building his portfolio? As a matter of fact, immediately after he feels that he is good at taking photographs, and he likes doing it.

What should a portfolio consist of? The main attention should be paid to photographs depicted in journalistic styles, photographs of nature and people, everyday subjects. By saying that you need to pay attention to photographs in the style of journalism, I mean that these photographs contain the genres of politics, society and society. For example, photographs from press conferences, various meetings of politicians, etc. Such photographs are mainly taken by photographers who work as journalists, shoot reports, or whose photos end up in the largest newspapers of cities or countries. Photographs of nature and people. They are also very important to have in your kit. the best photos. If in the future you become a good photographer, and you receive requests for something, or again work in a newspaper, then you will have to photograph famous personalities, models or ordinary citizens. Nature. Let’s not forget that animals also belong to nature. It doesn’t matter which ones, wild or domestic. Take pictures of landscapes, and all the oddities, all the funny things that in your opinion seem to be the beautiful creations of Mother Nature.

How to store a photo portfolio? There are several options for you here.

The first and most popular is a regular folder with photographs developed in it containing the author's work.
The second is to create a presentation or slide show on a computer and store it, for example, in a phone or on a flash drive.
And the third one, mainly used famous photographers. Creating your own website. You can post an unlimited number of photos on it, as well as many other useful features, such as your contact information, advertising (for which you can get paid), your biography and many other useful things. You can see how to create a website on the Internet, as well as how you can make money by having your own website.

In general, a photographer’s portfolio should always contain photos on any possible topic. Anything can happen in life, so it’s better to insure yourself in advance. It's better to start with what you do best. Then start with the easiest topics and plots, such as, for example,

Where to start creating a photo portfolio?

A portfolio is not necessarily “the best,” he is sure, and it is much more logical to try to sort images by series, rather than by a subjective opinion about the number of stars in their rating. Genre, shooting style, or specific features may be considered as criteria for combining into one set. technical specifications: The type of camera or image - such as cyanotype, pinhole, drone photography and many others.

Photography and design experts advise sharing the burden of selecting photos with a designer or colleague whose opinion you trust. An outside look and dialogue about the obvious advantages and possible disadvantages of the work with a person who is not indifferent to the topic will help you feel like you are in the place of the audience. Is this blurry sketch of the evening capital as good as we think? Will everyone notice the mysterious understatement of the portrait of Sveta’s niece at the dacha?

The remarkable critic Jorg Colberg, citing the story of the Dutch designer Sybren Kuiper in his book on the science of photobooks, agrees with the latter’s opinion: “Never listen to the photographer!”

Of course, you shouldn’t take the advice literally, but there is something to think about. “The fact is that photographers are often too involved in own projects and the pictures - so much so that they cease to perceive them adequately, says Kuiper. - Photos may seem too boring to them [or too brilliant - my note], because they have already flashed before their eyes so many times. There is a risk of not really including in the final sample best pictures or obsess over minor details. There definitely needs to be someone with a fresh perspective who can comment on what work is achieving its goal and what is not.”

But it’s also not worth convening a committee of electors. The opinion of one or two honest friends who understand visual science is enough, says Kohlberg. Rushing with the cooks in the kitchen never led to anything good.

Who is a photographer's portfolio intended for?

The next question worth answering before you begin to dive into the thousands, perhaps millions, of photographs accumulated over the years of filming “on the table” or loaded into the computer’s memory is the logical and correct “Why?” Who exactly will be the first person you plan to show your portfolio to? Potential employers? Curators, gallerists or photobook publishers who still know nothing about your talents? Or maybe for now your main task is simply to reflect on the variety of pictures in “for yourself” mode? This also happens - Moscow was not built right away.

Portfolio Night Review in Houston. March, 2012 Andrey Bezukladnikov

Nevertheless, it would be good to keep the possible “consumer” of the photo portfolio in mind now. After all, if you intend to look for work in the field of photography, say, in photojournalism, then it is better to show the future editor series that are varied in form and content, hint at the variability of skills, the ability to quickly work both “on the pipe” and in the field. A little something else is worth paying attention to for those whose photographic interests are related to creative or conceptual photography - in this case, it is recommended to post the pictures in the sequence of theoretical hanging in the gallery and, of course, in series.

Another point about the “recipients” of the image that should not be forgotten, according to Simon Bray, is the reaction of the audience. “Try to imagine exactly what emotions you expect to receive from the audience - do you want to surprise, shock or entertain them? - advises a British expert. - Believe me, not everyone is interested in views with your favorite landscapes or the next clones from photo stocks that flash before people’s eyes every day. It’s much more logical to choose photographs that are somehow different from the rest and will be able to attract the attention of the audience.” However, you should not rely on obviously defective images; they are unlikely to attract viewers and experts. Therefore, you should say goodbye to works containing obvious flaws.

Here, perhaps, it is worth making a reservation that this “Bray’s rule” does not, of course, include intentional distortions that may be part of the author’s visual language or conceptual idea. Maybe you're a fan of glitch art.

How to show your portfolio?

The next step is deciding how to present the portfolio. During a meeting with experts, it is considered more professional and respectful to show the portfolio in printed form, which, naturally, is more appropriate in a situation of “live” communication with them. But a personal bet still needs to be achieved, so it makes sense to think about the online format first.

Firstly, social networks. For the first steps in the world of large and small photography, Facebook, Instagram and VKontakte will be enough - create folders, upload photos, invite them to groups of friends and not so much. No need to lie, the Internet is big, and anyone, even the most (so far) average photographer with a DSLR as a birthday present, will find his fans. But if you are planning to move up from the level of Sunday filming of your niece at the dacha, and the fame of Georgy Pinkhasov makes you “white envy,” then you should think about a personal website. It is unlikely that a link to a VKontakte group can be shown to even the most democratic critic or editor without blushing.

Since creating and maintaining a website requires serious financial investments and deep technical knowledge, most photographers use specialized online platforms with ready-made templates. Many of them are inexpensive, easy to manage and do not require the skills of a programmer or web designer. You just need to register and upload photos.

Businessman's portfolio - work book.

A detailed guide for photographers who want to create their portfolio competently and independently. The note is based on: basic knowledge, special cases, minor differences that need to be taken into account when working with a customer. Freelance photographers will also find something for themselves useful information, because basic principles do not depend on genre, geography and other external differences. Frankly, as I develop in the profession, I notice less and less that the role of a portfolio designer or architect, for example, is somehow different from a photographer, and this is not surprising, as well as the fact that authors, like the profession, are distinguished by the specifics that someone one ignores it and creates a stamp, while the other notices it and finds its viewer.

I don’t try to retrain anyone, but I won’t mislead anyone either. There are no tricks in compiling or updating a portfolio, but there is a method that you need to master once, and then go on your own, as you believe and feel: your creativity, your viewer. Please note that the portfolio:

This is not a collection of technically correct works, but a selection of the author’s works that are united in style and theme, and the author’s point of view.
It can be composed of both the newest works and the old ones, because the true, most valuable photograph is always timeless.

With the help of a portfolio, the photographer solves the following problems:

Creation of a unified visual series, demonstration of the narrative.
Finding your audience and attracting attention to your work.

Compiling a portfolio is not a crazy emotional impulse, according to the principle “like everyone else, so do I,” but a meaningful decision - to create a tool that will help you get away from the masses, and convey your message to an audience with whom the author has common views on life and values reflected in the portfolio; That is why, I believe that compiling a portfolio is not a whim, and not a process “left for tomorrow,” but a primary task that a photographer, if he reads these lines, must solve first of all, because:

A portfolio saves the photographer’s time.
A portfolio demonstrates the author's skills and experience.
A portfolio enriches a photographer if he keeps it updated.

Photographic equipment is secondary, the portfolio is the main asset of the photographer.

Basic knowledge - volume of text. Of course, I will try to write concisely where possible, but still, for convenience, I will make a list of chapters:

General recommendations for creating a portfolio
- Compilation
  - Study of target audience
  - Selection of images
  - Selection of format
  - Selecting a design
- Update
  - How often to update your portfolio
Instead of a conclusion

The first thing I would like to draw the reader's attention to is self-criticism. Only a sober, detached look at your work will help you create a portfolio that you will like and will attract the attention of the viewer. I understand it's difficult. But the first impression can be made (and don’t be surprised) only once. It is necessary to exclude random works: casual works and those that awaken our memories, which the viewer is deprived of. If this is not done, then you can see for yourself that a person’s patience runs out faster than we think.

The second thing to remember is that a portfolio is not a static product. No matter how brilliantly and, I do not exclude, professionally, the portfolio is designed, one day you will have to put everything back together again, because creativity matures, the client or place of residence changes, and those works that previously guaranteed cooperation are no longer enough for the customer, his look and thoughts could understand the photographer. This leads to another piece of advice: combine and constantly review your portfolio, and if you no longer like the shot, remove it; Don't be afraid of laconic episodes, be afraid of boring ones.

Compilation

If you don't have a portfolio, you have nothing to sell.

What thoughts should you have in mind when creating a portfolio? Is a portfolio a photographer’s tool and you can’t find a client without it? No, although they are useful, it is better to think about something else - in what sequence to work on the portfolio, who will see it first, what feelings, thoughts and desires should awaken in the person with whom the photographer would like to work. In many portfolio guidelines, it is visible a common problem- they call for the author to select the best photographs and present them. I propose to do it a little differently: think, decide, make a selection, think again, design and show.

Creating a portfolio - time, effort, financial costs. That is why I suggest taking your time and composing it taking into account the viewer, and not your capabilities, which will grow:

Mastering technical skills takes time, and there is plenty of it.
Capturing the missing footage is a desire that will appear if you are busy with your own business.

Something else is more important: the topic that will unite the works; style, albeit original. To make it easier for you and me, I will describe the sequence:

Study of target audience
Selection of images
Selection of format
Selecting a design

Now let's look at all the stages.

Studying the target audience

Not everyone is delighted with a good portfolio, and this is normal, because among the viewers, and this is also normal, there are not many of our clients:

Some people like to watch.
For others - to discuss or condemn.
There are still others - they like it, but they won’t buy it.

Therefore, we need to look for those who will understand our work and say: “This is mine! Tell me, when will you have time so that we can discuss the terms of cooperation?” The portfolio should remove the viewer from the photographer’s information field and attract the customer. How to do it? Explore everything first characters, but the first thing is to draw up a portrait of your client.

It is necessary to take into account age, profession, social status, and, if important, material and emotional data; hobbies, habits, problems and desires (sometimes hidden, when the customer himself does not admit to them); sometimes you have to take into account appearance, diet, music and cosmetics (attitude towards it), preferred wardrobe, method of transportation; holidays, family and national traditions. There are many criteria, but they, like a designer, help not only to create a portrait of the target audience, but also to correctly select the number, theme, style, design (which should not be forgotten) of your portfolio.

Selection of images

You’ve chosen your market segment, the main characters have identified, it’s time to select pictures, but which ones and how many? There is no consensus, but there are important notes:

Quality. Stability in work indicates the level - the first thing to consider when selecting. The rule that the first and last 2 photographs are important is wrong, as is the fact that weak works can be mixed in the middle for the sake of quantity. All photographs must be the same in technical execution or style (not stylization). Somewhere I heard a long time ago that alone bad job will outweigh 100 good ones; social networks like VKontakte and Instagram have convinced us of this. Photographs must hold attention and evoke a response in the viewer’s heart; passing work cannot be shown.
Quantity. The optimal number of photos is 20. But it’s better to start “screening” when you have 100 or more in your hands. Choose 30-40 yourself best photos, in which you are confident, and show the draft portfolio to friends or relatives who have a strong understanding of visual art and are similar to the portrait of your target audience, and are ready to give a response to your portfolio. Pictures that did not evoke emotions can and should be deleted. If there are more or less than 20 works, for example, 12 or 21, then it’s okay, the optimal number is not a strict rule, but a recommendation.

When you select photos yourself, it is important not to think about numbers. What is more important is how the potential client will find his reflection (after all, as you know, we see it in the author’s work), how he imagines the photographer’s soul. Contrary to collective belief, the client needs confidence, which is why he looks at the portfolio; whoever needs emotion asks - how much does it cost?

Selection of format

“Digital portfolio or traditional, designed prints?” - a question that people often write to me, in emails, or in private messages on VK. I understand, it’s relevant, but my opinion is invariably a compromise. Look for him. Consider the benefits of a particular solution. A portfolio on the Internet is convenient, prints are significant. I suggest combining and finding the optimal combinations for yourself. For example, it’s convenient for me to place prints in a folder; I don’t like photo books and don’t look at them at all; but it is convenient for a meeting, an Internet site (personal choice), but there are significantly more options:

Digital Portfolio
- Personal site
- Social media
- Photosites
- Slide show
- Photo archive
Printed portfolio
- Prints
- Prints in passe-partout
- Photobooks

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each solution.

Digital Portfolio

Photos in in electronic format- no dependence on geography, saving time, effort and the ability to demonstrate the portfolio in passive mode, since it is accessible and works for the author, around the clock. But there is a problem - technology. All devices are different, and their screens, for the most part, do not undergo colorimetric adjustment, and what is most unpleasant for us is that photography in electronic form is a glow on the screen, while prints and photo books are reflected light, like all information from the real world. We humble ourselves, read and choose one (or several) solutions for ourselves that will complement the prints.

Personal site

Advantages:

Confidence. Many people don’t know how a website works, but they understand the costs and intentions of those who invest in development and updating. All other things being equal, the customer will look at the portfolio on the website, and not in in social networks(For example).
Independence. From the moderators, their mood and rules, technical limitations and, most unpleasantly, legal fraud in the user agreement. Somewhere it happens differently, but in most cases: the service is not obliged to do anything, the photographer is no one.
Versatility. No accounts, registrations, personal data or any somewhat useful services are needed. All the necessary information: contacts and price lists, frequently asked questions and reviews can be collected in one project. Comfortable!
Quality control. As images so that the customer sees the portfolio in the most at its best, without serious visible distortions and the surrounding space (some projects require comments, while others do not, for example).
Attention management. Your own project - freedom of action. You can implement different schemes for presenting material to determine the optimal sequence and speed of viewing the portfolio; eliminate distractions in the interface.

Flaws:

For a long time. The website is a separate project. It takes a lot of time to discuss, develop and, which is not the end, implement; further tests, making edits, promotion, constant monitoring and improvements: updating the portfolio, structure, etc.
Expensive. Creation and maintenance in working order - money, if not with your own hands - considerable. You will either have to study (which takes time and money), or constantly pay and maintain a freelance employee (which is also expensive).
Responsibly. You are your own boss, but there is a limitation - the legislation of the Russian Federation.

A personal website, in my opinion, is the most convenient and high-quality option for your portfolio on the Internet.

Social media

Advantages:

Fast. Completely setting up an account, posting a portfolio and setting up a public page or community will take less than an hour. Get comfortable in advertising office, without which presence on social networks is meaningless, another one or two hours.
For free. Relatively.

Flaws:

Addiction. From the management, popularity and target audience of the selected site; the mood and user agreement change unilaterally. The photographer cannot remove all data after a shift or leaving the site (the “delete” button is a fiction).
Restrictions. Viewing the portfolio is available without registration (if you do not limit this in the settings), but contacting the photographer requires an account. Publishing pictures is easy, but managing the quality and sequence of viewing is impossible.
Fragility. The practice of blocking social media, under one pretext or another, will intensify. The influence of politics and augmented reality will lead to the disappearance, or decline in popularity, of domestic platforms, and the blocking of unwanted “others”.

Social media - free platform, which every photographer considers. One sees opportunities in it, the other sees limitations: inconvenient navigation (a long path to the goal increases the owners’ income), distortion of color rendering (nothing has changed in this matter in 10 years), lack of customization (design decisions can be left to oneself, no one considers them ); social media can be seen as independent decision, and in quality advertising channel, to bring additional traffic to your personal website.

Photosites

Advantages:

Status. Portfolio on PhotoVogue is not easy, works are selected by Vogue.It editors; on MyWed you can see the appearance of wedding photography on the RuNet; Behance is a union of talents and employers from all over the world. Recognition among colleagues builds client trust.
Quality. The color profile is not removed from the file, optimal size photographs, for the Internet, does not change; colors are not distorted, detail does not drop. It is on these sites that you can safely place your portfolio.
For free. Nice.

Flaws:

Addiction. A third-party solution is dependent on its owners and photo sites, alas, are no exception. How long will the publication last, how will the project change and what will happen if, for example, new design will cause hostility among the photographer's clients?
Uniformity. Change layout, redesign and implement new technology, which I spied on a colleague - it won’t work; the technical part is hidden from the author (and in many situations this is good, but still, the limitation is a drawback).

Photo sites are the closest to a regular website - they allow you to post the author’s portfolio and, what’s good, does not spoil the image. Provide easy navigation and demonstrate the opinion of a professional panel: editors and photographers; Of course, this is a possible, and in many ways controversial, argument - public opinion, but take it into account if you choose the path of a free photographer.

Slide show

Advantages:

For free. Relatively, because good software means money. Free solutions are outside Windows, for example, Linux, but mastering this OS takes time; pick up a program - time again, figure it out... well, you get the idea. Relative advantage.
Qualitatively. The only limitation is sRGB (but the photographer is used to always taking it into account: when printing, publishing on the Internet, viewing on device screens). Otherwise, we are limited by our experience or choice: to squeeze or not (photos and videos).
Attention management. There are no restrictions except the author's imagination. You can control and manipulate the attention and emotional state of the viewer. The experience of a film editor, director, designer, marketer and psychologist will come in handy more than once.

Flaws:

Inconvenient. Required condition portfolio - update; A slide show excludes this, because removing, adding or adjusting the order of photos is tantamount to creating a new project. Reminds me of a house of cards.
Waste of time. Both in the literal sense - to master the software, choose the plot, tempo and music, and in the figurative sense - no one is interested, no one is watching anymore. Time has passed.

Even 10 years ago, this method of demonstrating a portfolio was convenient, but now, people do not want, or cannot, spend time viewing a slide show. Statistics, user experience and new paradigm web developments convince us of this.

Photo archive

Advantages:

None. This is not a portfolio.

Flaws:

Wrong decision.

Sending pictures by mail so that the customer can evaluate the level of work - probably once there was a point in this, but it has nothing to do with the portfolio. You cannot consider this option for displaying your works; you must learn to select works and compile thematic collections; to design them and provide the viewer with a completed product, and not a heap of fragments.

An electronic portfolio is part of an Internet marketing strategy that a photographer must, if not obligated to, develop before picking up a camera (which is lying on a shelf in a store); From this position, it is better to assess the prospects of a particular solution, and not in a global, but in a narrower direction - for yourself.

Printed portfolio

A traditional portfolio, prints in a folder or photo book is an elegant and solid solution that is suitable for personal meetings with a client, finding a mentor and visiting a friend in the craft with whom it is better to communicate outside the virtual world.

A classic printed portfolio, unlike an electronic one, is a tactile sensation, without which, sometimes, it is difficult to realize the real value of the work. If a photographer decides to work with agencies or magazines, then without prints he will not be able to make himself known.

Prints

Advantages:

Photo. Real, sought after. The paper, conditions and printing method were chosen correctly. In your hands is not a semi-finished product, but a completed product that is exhibited, recorded, framed and packaged.
Tactile sensations. Without them, a photograph does not remain in memory for a long time. Our strength is at its limit, the information field is overloaded, and it’s difficult to keep one more photograph in memory unless you touch it with your hands and feel its weight and texture.
Visibility in reflected light. Traditional perception of information from the surrounding world. This is why traditional photography is valuable, despite the fact that for the most part, modern devices reproduce wider color gamuts.

Flaws:

Expensive. Of course, it depends on the format, printing method and type of paper, but on average prices range from 40-50 rubles to 900 rubles per A4 print. If you regularly update and replace damaged photos, you will have to fork out an amount equal to an average budget lens.
Not durable. Paper is just paper. Accidentally knocked over a glass of water or a cup of coffee, that’s it, the picture is ruined and will have to be replaced. Additional costs for a visit to the printing house and printing (costs increase).
Personal contact. A traditional portfolio requires the author to have the ability to present, and in many ways to interest people by demonstrating their product. You can’t do without communication skills and experience of a marketer. Additional self-education is required.

Traditional prints arranged in an album folder are not a relic of the past, but rather the opposite - a basic photographer's portfolio. Another, more expensive and protected version - photographs designed according to museum standards, let's look at them in detail.

Prints in passe-partout

Advantages:

Durability. Cardboard protects the print from kinks and chips (in case of falls), but this is a half-measure, because the main threat to photography is humidity and ultraviolet radiation, from which the full design (baguette and glass) protects. It looks and is expensive.
Visual perception. Passepartout is not just a piece of cardboard, but an additional, or, more accurately, artistic element, a tool with which it is quite easy to control the client’s visual perception. The main thing is to choose the right size and color.
The final appearance of the photograph. Museum standard of design - 200 years of preservation of the print, and aesthetic pleasure from viewing. An ideal portfolio for a mature author, owner of a photography studio.

Flaws:

Dimensions. The weight and size of the designed prints are large, which makes them inconvenient, I would even say unsuitable for meetings outside the space where they are located, and having your own studio is a necessary condition for placing and displaying this portfolio.
Price. Quality is expensive, museum quality is even more expensive.

Pictures framed in a classic passe-partout, complemented by a baguette and museum glass, and marked with the author’s personal stamp - an expensive type of portfolio that is not convenient, or, more accurately, unsuitable for meetings outside the photo studio.

Photobooks

Advantages:

Comfortable. Most books are packaged in “boxes,” wooden boxes that can be taken to a meeting or handed over for review. The format of the book is “according to taste and requirement,” which is also convenient.
Original. The book, in a sense, is an element of the brand. There are no restrictions on layout or type of paper; existing standards are a big convention, a limitation for those who do not need to “find their own.”

Flaws:

Collage. A photobook is not a photo album; there is no scene in it, no understanding of the plot - a snapshot and this is bad; we fill the space and create visual noise, what can be conveyed to the viewer in this way is not clear. Photo books are exclusively for serial shooting.
Price. A quality product is expensive, packaging is even more expensive. The “paradox” is that the cost of printing is lower than the cost of production; the photographer does not pay for the view, his responsibility is to fork out for the production. He needs a portfolio though.
Fragility. Printing, for the most part, Low quality, but often the author does not know about this, because he will throw out the book much earlier, because the frame is outdated, how to update it? How to supplement your portfolio? That's right, printing in a new way.
Inconvenient format. It cannot be updated, it cannot be considered together with the customer: the frame, even if it is on a spread, is small, conveying it is by no means an easy task. It cannot be hung on the wall, which excludes the possibility of placing such a portfolio in the studio.

A photobook is a strange phenomenon. It is expensive and looks beautiful, but, if you are “picky,” it performs its main task poorly. Of course it accommodates a large number of and, not surprisingly, it’s compact, but is that what it’s like when you’re working on timeless photography?

A printed portfolio is of high quality, solid and durable, but it has one common, and at first unpleasant, problem - what to do with outdated photographs? Electronic photos and files on disk are easy to delete, but what about printing? I suggest donating: to those who are in the frame and to those who are interested in these frames. It won't hurt the photographer.

I understand that everyone’s genres and styles are different, but try to combine different formats, types and versions of the portfolio; consider your portrait target audience so as not to make a mistake or in time to exclude the attention of those who will take time but will not pay for the work. If you have any questions, write a letter and I will try to help.

Selecting a design

Design begins with choosing a format. The optimal size for handheld viewing is 20x30 (A4), and this, naturally, applies to a printed portfolio. The basic design is a passe-partout, but it is not appropriate to use it everywhere; in most cases, it is a folder (made of leatherette or leather) with transparent files for storing photographs. There are ready-made solutions (on the Internet and beyond), but manual work is better, which does not limit the flight of imagination; the main thing is not to forget that clumsy design is bad, and not because there are ignoramuses around - they cannot appreciate “beauty”, it’s just that the photographer must show photographs, that’s why there is a portfolio.

I can’t say anything about the design of the books, I didn’t like them from the very beginning, and I’m using folders in the near future - self made, because an opportunity has arisen and why not move away from the impersonal format.

An electronic portfolio does not need to be designed (that’s its beauty) and, rather, on the contrary, requires cleaning: advertising on social networks is distracting; on photo sites there are extra buttons and advertisements; We spoil personal websites ourselves. Look again at the pictures and the portrait of the target audience, think about what spoils the impression of viewing the pictures and whether it can be corrected; designing a portfolio, like compiling it, is not to show everything you can, but to show what the client would like to see; something that I would like to reproduce again, but at a higher level; Yes, designing a portfolio is a demonstration of taste.

Update

A portfolio is not a static product. The photographer hones his skills, looks for new solutions - in the means of expression, and inevitably comes to the understanding: “Something needs to be changed!” This is where self-criticism and the ability to write your own thoughts come in handy (as F. M. Dostoevsky said); but simply removing the “old” to make way for the “new” is a mistake. “Date of manufacture” is not a selection criterion; the photographer must understand what photographs are missing in his portfolio, and what will change in his work if “edits” are made.

How often to update your portfolio

There are many opinions, but I believe that it is necessary to create a portfolio once and for many years. No, I’m not against minor edits, but if the relevance of the portfolio rapidly decreases, for example, from season to season, then it is better to create a new portfolio (and advertise it well). In the list below, I will list all my thoughts on this issue:

The frequency of updates is an indicator of stability and completeness of the portfolio. If there is no, or almost no, day without edits, then the portfolio is compiled for a wide audience, and its goal is simple - to increase coverage. Its price is low, there is no value.
The update schedule is a mistaken phenomenon in the life of a photographer. A valuable shot appeared and a place was found for it in the portfolio - good; no - a reason to work further. A photo in a portfolio is not a fixed result, but a bit of luck.
Updating your portfolio is about working on quality, not quantity. Sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with that, you add one frame and subtract three, the portfolio shrinks and empty files appear (we’re talking about printing), but the overall picture becomes clearer. Here's the price.

Competent updates highlight the “backbone”, the foundation, - photographs are timeless; show, attract attention, confirm the achievements, skills and experience of the author. Such photographs bring “their viewer”, a customer who needs the author, and not his price tag.

How to select pictures for updates

This opinion is not a dogma, but it may be useful to someone:

Ignore fashion, seasonal trends. It's the season of this... the season of that... silliness and DIY Instagram. Consider the (non-material) values of your client and publish timeless photographs in which: you are confident, and the client has found himself.
Durability is the main criterion. Passing shots or sketch shots are not something that will last for years. Don’t even publish them on social media, train yourself to see and discuss only what is meaningful and valuable (bypassing the price tag).
Place photos that you have forgotten in your portfolio. Do you like the photo? Hide it from yourself for a month, or better yet, six months or a year, so that the emotions, feelings, thoughts with which this frame is associated go away. After a while, the shot is interesting - publish it, if not - throw it in the trash.

Instead of a conclusion

Businessman's portfolio - work book.

not big words, but the meek truth.

Updated 01/05/2018

Peace to all, and favorable light on the sites of photographic battles.
Your,
Andrey Bondar.

Not a single grand celebration is complete without a professional photographer, who is ordered in advance for the celebration. Creative photography, beautiful shots, a lively atmosphere of photography, all this is the result of the work of a true master of his craft. But any photographer should have a portfolio to present their work to the client. The main thing is to approach the question wisely:

How to create a photographer's portfolio?

And, of course, have:

Photographer portfolio sample.

The main weapon of a photographer is not only his camera, but also samples of his portfolio. Before you are invited as a photographer to a celebration, you will definitely be asked for examples of your filming. Therefore, your portfolio must be impeccable.

How to create a photographer's portfolio

Once you have mastered all the basics and secrets of photography, you need to create your own portfolio.

Portfolio is not just a gallery of the photographer’s works, but also his face, style, and professionalism.

A portfolio is a set of professional artistic photographs, which the photographer positions as examples of his work.

Portfolio photos must be of high quality and professional

Design

A portfolio is a presentation of a photographer’s work . First, you must decide on the design of your portfolio. This will require a special album or folder. It can be made of any material, be it ordinary cardboard or genuine leather. Of course, the more expensive and presentable the folder looks, the better. You can decorate it yourself with various embroideries, stickers, and paintings. Don't overdo it; too much distracting design can turn off the client.

Select a folder according to the size of the printed photos, the larger the better. Also decide on photo paper, let it be of the highest quality.

Portfolio folders should identify the photographer as a creative and professional person

Subject

Focus on your audience. If a client is looking at the portfolio and is interested in photographing a wedding, then you need to include wedding photos in the folder.

You must put your photos together. Naturally, your portfolio will not fit all your photos, so you need to sort your work by topic. Each topic has a separate album, its own design and original signatures. The client will not be interested if all albums are designed the same.

Portfolio topics should be sorted

Quality

The priority property of your work is its quality. It is better for you to provide the customer with 25 technically high-quality and creative photographs than 50 boring, meaningless works.

Photos should be sharp, clear, focused, beautiful. They should highlight the moment, reflect the essence.

Photography is about capturing emotions that a photograph should always convey. And a photograph is the photographer’s soul, which he puts into his work.

If a client is interested in your work, he will definitely respond to your proposals for filming.Shooting in the style of “Report”, “Children”, “Women”, “Men”, “- Pin»

Up

Portfolio format

You must have photographs, both printed and digital. It is unknown what portfolio format the client will require, so you must have both options.

There are two types of portfolio:
Digital Portfolio. For this type of portfolio, you need a special album where the photographs will be stored.

. It is also called an online portfolio. On a specialized website, you can post all your works by topic.

If you design your own personal website, this will be a plus for you, since you can always provide the client with a link to your online portfolio.

A photographer must have both types of portfolio

When creating a portfolio, you should remember the important components:
Introduction: information about the photographer and description of the portfolio theme.
List of photos.
Photo captions: brief description.
Date and place of filming.

Photographer contacts.

Don't forget that the photos in your portfolio should be in a certain order to create a mood. It is always more interesting to watch works from beginning to end than in a completely incomprehensible order. Technically high quality and beautiful pictures

- the key to an ideal portfolio

A few secrets of creating a photographer's portfolio: Only expensive and high quality camera
. It should be a mirror, with a removable photo lens. The camera must have at least 3 lenses, for different tasks.
The highest quality photo paper is used to print photographs.
A photographer's portfolio shouldn't have a bunch of photos. Otherwise, the client will simply get tired of looking through them, and all the photographs will merge into one picture.
Portfolio works should not have small size. Standard size 10x15 will not work. Ideally, these should be photographs 20x30 cm.
Approach your portfolio design wisely and creative imagination. It shouldn't be a boring book with a bunch of photographs pasted on.

The photographer is a professional in his field. He should have a lot of fresh thoughts, ideas and ideas. He must not stand still, but improve all the time. His portfolio should change and expand, and most importantly, each time it should become more attractive and of better quality.

At Wix, we often receive questions from freelance photographers who want to know how to create a professional online portfolio. And although we have plenty of material on the topic of how and best to use the Wix editor tools, especially when it comes to photographers, experience shows that a picture is worth a thousand words.

This is what prompted us to go through hundreds of recently created Wix sites to select the 10 best ones and show them to you. Nothing like flow creative ideas to create your own portfolio, like viewing beautiful, high-quality photo portfolios. This will help you understand what your colleagues are doing to attract the attention of potential clients, plus you will learn what is fashionable in web design and interface design.

But before we begin, here are a few questions to ask yourself as you look through other portfolios:

What makes this site stand out, and how can you play on it?

What are the downsides to this site's design, and how could you fix it?

How is the photo portfolio itself organized, is there a breakdown into categories and is a slide show used?

In addition to the portfolio, what is on the site, and how does this content help potential customers make their choice?

Born in Cuba and now living in Miami, this photographer specializes in photography for real estate sales, menu design, weddings and various products. His site is dynamic and simple, using large sliders to act as backgrounds and showcase the photographer's best work. The “Services” page presents a typical set of descriptions of work and prices.

Austrian paparazzi photographer David Boman has been actively engaged in professional photography for the last 4 years. At first glance, his portfolio looks very unpretentious: nothing superfluous and a simple white background. The photo gallery is divided into 14 sections, which are very convenient to navigate, and is designed in the form of a modular grid. His portraits feature very interesting characters (and many of them are businessmen!), photographs of architecture are distinguished by unconventional compositions and the use of special lenses, and photographs from weddings convey a festive mood.

A photographer with 20 years of experience in sports, travel, portraits and advertising photography, the talented German Jern Polex created a website in the design of which he decided to use a minimalist style. The use of photo miniatures allows you to demonstrate all of his works, regardless of their size and proportions, on one page.

The Canadian couple takes “bright, exciting, spectacular, exciting, and most importantly emotional” photographs. The "About Us" section of their website features photos of them as children with brief biographical information about each of them - a great way to give the brand a human face.

Carlo Heathcote from Singapore presents his portfolio as an activist project aimed at drawing attention to global problems of humanity. His photographs tell stories of mass famine in Niger, earthquake victims in Kashmir, and military conflicts in Afghanistan. “This exhibition was created to give a voice to the people pictured in the photographs at the darkest moments of their lives,” Heathcote writes on the About Me page.

The Japanese Kita Koyi specializes in studio photography of various products and models, but he works just as well with wedding photos, and with illustrations for guidebooks. The calm gray tones of the background on the site help to focus attention on the photographs themselves, which is actually the purpose of the portfolio.

Laura Garilio is not afraid to use rich colors on their website, starting with a variety of green shades, ending with a palette of gray tones, diluted with bright pink spots. This approach requires careful thought and careful work, but the results are worth it.

A wise decision was to create a "My Style" section where she shares how to find inspiration in each day, in addition to the classic "About Me" page where Laura talks about how she was once an artist and then moved to Canary Islands and changed my life. The “Your Photo Shoot” section is dedicated to prices for various shooting options. It’s great that her portfolio includes so much information: it’s not only how she introduces herself potential clients, but also works to promote the site in search engines.

The galleries organized by topic look very neat. In them you will find photographs of people on holiday, enjoying life, and the surrounding nature of the Canary Islands only enhances this impression. The photo project “Future Dads” with its emotional photographs of new fathers is especially attractive.